The association of Nazism with the symbol of ultimate evil the devil can be found in the works
of Klaus and Thomas Mann Else Lasker-Schüler and Rolf Hochhuth. He appears either as Satan of
the Judeo-Christian tradition or as Goethe s Mephisto. The devil is not only a metaphor but a
central part of the historical analysis. Barasch-Rubinstein looks into this phenomenon and
analyzes the premise that the image of the devil had a substantial impact on Germans acceptance
of Nazi ideas. His diabolic characteristics the pact between himself and humans and his
prominent place in German culture are part of the intriguing historical observations these four
German writers embedded in their work. Whether writing before the outbreak of WWII during the
war or after it when the calamities of the Holocaust were already well-known they all
examine Nazism in the light of the ultimate manifestation of evil.
